Forty-five percent of Americans think buying things over the Internet threatens their personal privacy, a random-sample telephone poll for ABCNEWS.com has found.
That's about the same as it was in an identical survey in January 2000.
Does online buying
threaten privacy?
Yes No
4/22/01 45% 49%
1/26/00 41 47
Past polling has shown that privacy concerns have been more muted among people who use the Internet. That would suggest fewer concerns as Internet use continues to grow. In the last year, though, it hasn't happened — privacy concerns have held steady.
Familiarity Breeds Complacency
Young adults and better-off Americans, both of whom have more online experience, are less worried about privacy. And there's a gender gap: Women are 11 points more apt than men to express privacy concerns about online shopping.
Online buying
threatens privacy?
Yes No
Men 39% 54%
Women 50 45
Age:
18-34 37 61
55-64 55 37
Income:
Less than $25K 47% 42%
More than $100K 31 62
A recent report by Congress said that more than 60 government Web sites used unauthorized software to track the buying habits of Internet users. And last week Attorney General John Ashcroft said he would assign an aide to deal specifically with privacy issues.
Methodology
This ABCNEWS.com survey was conducted by telephone April 18-22, among a random national sample of 1,022 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.
Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our
Poll Vault.
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